South Africa offers amnesty to ICL players

Cricket South Africa (CSA) has unveiled an amnesty offer for South African players associated with the ICL, and offered them a chance to return to official cricket if they terminate their contracts with the league by May 31. Those who joined the unofficial league include Justin Kemp, Nicky Boje, Dale Benkenstein, Andrew Hall and Johan van der Wath.

CSA's decision, taken during a board meeting on Friday, is in line with similar offers announced by various national boards following a recent ICC guideline on the issue. It specified a six-month cooling period from their last ICL match in November 2008, so the players would be eligible for the new South African season come September.

The move by various national boards to offer amnesty to the ICL players was prompted by the BCCI's offer to ICL's Indian players that was made on April 29.